News Releases

UWI SALISES hosts post election forum

For Release Upon Receipt - January 8, 2008

St. Augustine


The University of the West Indies (UWI), Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social & Economic Studies (SALISES) will host its monthly forum on ‘The 2007 General Elections in Trinidad and Tobago: Analysis and Aftermath’ on Thursday 10th January, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. at the SALISES Conference Centre, UWI St. Augustine Campus. Members of the public are invited to take part in the debate and discussions.

Presentations will be made by scholars and other distinguished persons including Professor Emeritus Selwyn Ryan (Chair); Dr. Bishnu Ragoonath, Senior Lecturer in Government; Dr. Indira Rampersad, Lecturer in Government; Dr. Kerry Sumesar-Rai, Lecturer in Government; Mr. Raymond Ramcharitar, Lecturer in Journalism and Communication (COSTATT) and UWI Doctoral Candidate.

SALISES is this year celebrating the ‘Year of Sir Arthur Lewis’. Lewis who was born in Castries, St Lucia, on January 23rd, 1915, became Director of the Caribbean Development Bank in 1970. His prize winning work is an economic model that examines the problems facing developing nations. His landmark dual sector model explains why in developing nations wages typically remain low and capital rents high, even as development continues at a pace. In 1991, he died and was buried on the grounds of the St Lucia community college named in his honour.

The University’s celebration of Lewis’ life and works is part of the ongoing UWI Nobel Laureate Celebrations, which began in 2007 with the Year of V.S. Naipaul, and which is scheduled to end in 2009 with the year of Derek Walcott. In April 2007, Trinidad-born Nobel Laureate Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad (V.S.) Naipaul, was a guest of honour at the St. Augustine campus. One of the region’s most celebrated writers, Sir V.S. Naipaul was awarded the Trinity Cross, the country’s highest honour, in 1989, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001.

About SALISES

SALISES was established in August 1999 as a result of a merger of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), established in 1948, and the Consortium Graduate School of Social Sciences (CGSSS), established in 1985. It has been named after Sir Arthur Lewis, Nobel Laureate in Economics and the first Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. The mission of the SALISES is to undertake high-quality research and graduate teaching in the areas of social and economic development policy, governance and public policy with special reference to small developing countries.

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